miles to go before sunrise
by quorra laraex
Summary: Buckle up, 'cause the next few days are going to be the best nights of our lives. Pack your clothes, hide the booze, and try not to die of humiliation when you're forced to skinny dip... it'll surely be unforgettable. — Jack/Rapunzel & Merida/Hiccup; roadtrip!AU
1. introductions

**_a/n: **so this will generally be a friendship!drabble-fic of the little adventures and shenanigans the "Big Four" gang get into during a mere road trip. and yes, the main pairing will be jack/rapunzel. but don't worry i'll hint around other pairings as well.

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**miles to go before sunrise  
**_i. introductions_

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He couldn't exactly remember who came up with the idea to begin with, (and he couldn't recall if they all thought it was a magnificent plan, either) but when he slept through four alarms and was ultimately shoved off the bed by a redheaded _animal _(who had also been screaming Scottish profanities in his direction), he wanted to assassinate the life out of the culprit who came up with the idea of _adventuring on a road trip _before graduation.

"Hurry up, ye' prick!" the girl sneered while unwrapping the blanket he had cocooned himself on the floor with. "Everyone's waitin' for ye'!"

"It's only eight—_hey_!" he growled as he lay bare on his wooden floor in nothing but boxers.

If her untamed, springs of hair could represent the frustration that was eating at her, it was definitely on point. "We were all supposed to be in the car by six thirty!"

Whoops.

As he jolted upright and stumbled to his bathroom, he ignored Merida's shrill complaints being muffled by the sound of his sink's rushing water. He gestured for her to leave his house immediately as he brushed his teeth and out she went, whilst muttering careless apologies to whomever she had awoken in the Frost household.

After quickly washing up (he hadn't even had time to at least decent up his hair) pajama pants pulled on as well as a hoodie, he grabbed his luggage, sang a quick good bye to the foster folks and strolled out his front door with groggy eyes and unswept tresses. Fuck it if the dudes saw him like this. Chances are they looked the same and wouldn't even give a damn. Fuck it if Merida judged—though he knew that would be immensely hypocritical since her whole head was an outrageous, tangled, _fire_.

He tiredly forced himself to walk up the steps into the recreational vehicle, which was amazingly huge, by the way. Props to Merida's father for this _beautiful_ birthday present. He would have swooned at what was known as his safe haven for two weeks, but feeling shitty and sore, he packed his bag under one of the bunk bed before lousily nodding at the (probably) hung over Flynn on the bottom bunk and at Hiccup, drooling away on the top above the scruffy brunette under the sheets before throwing himself onto the only available cot.

"Yo, Mer'," he drowsily groaned from the bed, hoping that his voice travelled far enough to be heard by the driver, who had been blasting some damn indie song from the stereo. "Tell me when we reach the pit stop, I'll drive after you after we get some burgers and some Five Hour Energy in me."

There was nothing but silence on her part, and he initially thought she hadn't even heard him until she grumbled something quietly and he noticed it had only been a hesitation. The fiery red head only forced to speak louder when he yelled for her too. "Er, ye' see, we aren't makin' a pit stop just yet!"

Suspicious and skeptic and wanting a clarification, Jack stood up and trailed over to the driver's seat. "Where are we going, exactly?"

"Just…" the eighteen year old girl bit at her lip. "We're pickin' up a friend of mine, that's all."

Why had that been a big deal?

Jack could only shrug in response, "Whatever, as long as he buys the beer."

"About that…" Her words had either died down or he had zoned her out obliviously as the car came to a stop and his sky-like eyes focused on the girl waiting excitedly outside squealed in delight and ran toward the door with two duffel bags in one hand.

Oh.

_Oh_.

And before he even had the chance to process what this girl even _looked_ like, she threw him a menacing glare and whispered harshly for him to duck. And confused as ever, he couldn't even register one simple word before Merida threw an unopened bottle of water at his groin, forcing him to fall beyond his knees.

"See, mother!" he could actually feel the stranger's grin despite his pain on the floor of a fucking RV. "Just me and Merida and her beautiful car, Angus!"

Luckily the so-called woman hadn't done an inventory check or they'd have all been doomed.

"Alright, have fun girls!" an older voice called out. "Be careful and be good!"

"Of course, mother," Jack watched irritated as the girl blew a kiss toward the window as Merida set the gear shift back to drive. The girl almost fell on him when the car started moving, but luckily for her she had grabbed onto the table's ledge for support. He'd be lying if he said he hadn't seen under her skirt from where he was still practically dead on the floor. "Oh! Oh, my god, I'm sorry she had to do that, are you alright?"

Her voice was sweet and soft, and just as he looked upward to meet her riveting, concerned gaze, she had leaned down and lent him a small hand. He doubted she had been giving him an insightful view of cleavage on purpose with that delicate, naïve face of hers, but god_damn_ was it distracting.

Just as he were about to take her hand, her eyes (which looked like limes) flickered upward and brightened as she stood and hopped over him screaming, "Hiccup!"

"Rapunzel! Long time no see!"

She hugged him tightly and a tad awkwardly (on Hiccup's part) before she giggled and clarified to whomever was listening (unfortunately Jack) that she and him had gone way back.

"Oh," was the only thing he could muster out when he stood up and wiped off his jeans, as if they were dirty.

"WAKE UP, EUGENE," the ginger screeched from her seat then, interrupting any chance of conversation that could have bloomed. From the sound of his repulsive, real name that he had been indignantly ashamed of, Flynn had practically flown off the bed and face planted.

About to lazily yell back to never let that name slip past open air again, Flynn ran his fingers in his flimsy hair, meeting unfamiliar eyes curiously locked on him. Typical Flynn, trying to be suave and charming, he drawled. "And who might you be, beautiful?"

She filled the air with her spontaneous giggle, to which Merida cut in (since she always cut in). "Eugene—_Flynn_—no, no, _no_, don't even _think_ about layin' a hand on my Rapunzel! I warned 'er about ye' already!"

"The old Hit-It-and-Quit-It Rider, huh?" Rapunzel, her name, apparently, nudged him in the side playfully and knowing. Flynn could only shoot her a half smile before whipping out some lame pickup line and strutting before heading back over to bed. Her eyes roamed around the vehicle in something between delight and admiration before landing on a pair of blue that hadn't left her since she had gotten there. "Sorry, we didn't really have the most proper introduction, did we? I'm Rapunzel."

"Jack," he began, finally fully awake. "Jack Frost."

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**tbc.**

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**_a/n:** please tell me your thoughts on this! i've been thinking about doing a road trip story for a while, but i wasn't sure on the fandom i would use, and then i came across rise of the brave tangled dragons, and the big four would be absolutely perfect. and of course, flynn. bc why the hell not, right?


	2. wild child

**_a/n:** so i'm thinking of changing the rating to M? you're being warned right now about how the crew's gonna be drinking and swearing and smoking. but to clarify, this fic is_ not_ going to be all Skins/Spring Breakers-ish, all about drugs and party hard, because** no**—this story_ is_ eventually going to evolve into something more than that.  
the main problem will be introduced in a few chapters after this; i already have it outlined. so be patient! right now, it's all just fun and games.

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_ii. wild child_

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It's been two hours and forty-six minutes since she met the whole crew and she could safely say she took a liking to all of them. And by all of them, she meant Flynn, and the other two she had already well known. She wondered thoughtfully over what they thought of her, before she shook her head to herself and decided she didn't care.

And then there was the boy with the white, disheveled hair that looked at her quite strangely, and she tried to prevent herself from straying to the thought that he may already hate her and instead focused on the man sitting in front of her in the booth, a table between them with a glass bottle of coke and a map surfaced on the wood.

Her eyes roam south to the map and her fingers trail along the road they're on until she reaches an exit and flicked it with her brightly painted nails. And then she hadn't meant it for her voice to echo and timber off the walls of the car, but it happened, and she failed to notice the way Jack's eyes sprouted open in annoyance. He'd been trying to take a simple nap. For the fourth time.

"Merida, can we stop at the next gas station, please?"

A dark, familiar voice had cut in after Merida's cheerful _sure thing_!

"Already need to use the bathroom, princess?" He mocked, since they had just taken a pit stop not even an hour ago.

Rapunzel rolled her bottle green orbs at his snide comment and felt the need to fight fire with fire. "And what's it to you, Frost?"

"Thy highness' tiny bladder is going to be the reason we'll have to stop at every damn Chevron!"

She glared at him as he sat back on the cot and rested his head in his hands while he leaned back against the window with smug eyes. She stuck out her tongue childishly in his direction as she crossed her arms against her chest and wondered why on earth he kept making these _royal_ remarks. Did she really give off that much of a spoiled brat vibe to him? And what the hell did he know, anyway? It wasn't as if she was really going to use the bathroom.

Stupid prick.

When the stop came, Rapunzel flung herself out of the car with her bag, high blonde ponytail swinging behind her exposed waist. She saw no point in pulling the shirt back down a mere inch or two if it would just continue ride back up anyways, and she knew Jack was staring at her back at the window. So fuck it. She swung her hips as she walked and decided to forget being the goody, conservative, mama's girl she'd always been at home when she slyly slipped him the finger behind her shoulder and waltzed into the cheap gasoline shack.

"_Damn_," the word flew out of Flynn's lips at the same time he lit himself a cigarette and Jack rolled his eyes, knowing exactly what he'd been referring to. It'd only been close to three hours in a car and Jack already could not stand her prissy, bubbly, ditsy self.

"What's the deal with your annoying friend anyway?" Jack muttered toward Merida, who had been readjusting her sunglasses.

She spared him a glance before explaining a few, mighty details. "She really isn't what ye' think, Jack." He only scoffed. "She isn't that girly kind of rich, gutless priss of eh girl this whole car knows ye' think of 'er as."

Sure.

It wasn't as if he spent over an hour with her and hadn't listened in on her constant babbling to Flynn (although he didn't _want_ to listen in the first place – curse her and her reverberating voice; he couldn't even _nap_!) over how she had been homeschooled all her life and hadn't left her house in years because _mother forbid it_. A newbie and most likely a prude was rolling with the gang. Great.

Hiccup came in then, since it had been his turn to steer the wheel for once, to which he got a kiss on the cheek for from the owner of the vehicle herself. His face flushed full crimson and Flynn and Jack immediately high fived after Merida had followed her blonde friend into the Mini Mart.

The eighteen year old, pearly, haired teenager whistled through his teeth with a brow raised as the other boy, slightly older (he had failed once or twice, living his senior year _again_) gestured foul hand signals toward him, to which Hiccup grunted a nervous, "Shut up!"

The boys cracked into laughter and openly wondered why the girls had been taking so long in a twelve foot wide _Mini Mart_.

"Probably lady stuff," Hiccup suggested uneasily, his face slowly losing its color. Besides his ears; they were like cherry tomatoes. And before his friends could comment on the heat of them (and most likely radiating off them), he was quick to ask. "So what do you guys think of Rapunzel?"

"She's hot," Flynn boyishly contributed. He took another hit and raised his brows suggestively toward Jack.

"Why is she even travelling with us?" he complained, recalling that it was them—he, Flynn, Hiccup, and Merida—who had drunkenly promised to go out on a road trip during Spring Break. Nowhere in the memory was a small, petite, aggravating blonde. "Can't we just drop her back off a Barbie's Malibu Dream Castle or some shit?"

"What's your problem?" Flynn smirked at his own question. Or probably Jack's face on what he was about to imply. "When she got here you were all oggly eyes. And you're still like that."

And before Jack could even protest, the twenty year old high schooler continued.

"Don't even _try_ to tell me you didn't get a great look at her panties because even _I _witnessed it!"

"She's just so _annoying_ and peppy and girly and naïve and she _doesn't _stop talking! Why. Is. She. Here?" Jack sufficed a groan at the fact some random girl (who had some pretty nice underwear) could just waltz into their pact of friendship like that. Well, she knew Hiccup and Merida. And Flynn obviously liked her already. Whatever. "We've all pre-paid Merida for gas and we've bought a shit load of snacks already. What's she got to contribute to the team?"

And just as his point was about to be proven, there she went, arms linked with her best friend with a hint of a smirk on her face only to make him realize he'd spoken too soon. The two girls stepped back into the car with glimmering eyes and identical smiles.

"What took you guys so long?"

Rapunzel shifted the hefty bag off her left shoulder and unzipped it, ready to unravel the contents. She pulled a gallon of lemonade out, (and before any of them could retort over why out of all the drinks there were to choose—why _that_?—their unspoken question was answered with another pull of her arm) followed by three large bottles of raspberry vodka, two Jameson, and a handle of Jack Daniels. But they weren't finished yet, since after that, Merida had sneakily held a pack of beer before the boys' starstruck faces.

He tried not to look too impressed, though he ultimately was, judging from their last pit stop. Hiccup had tried getting away with a few bottles of Corona, but the cashier had been too suspicious over his fake I.D. They should have known. Hiccup couldn't even pass for eighteen (his _real_ age!) when his card read twenty-four.

Idiot.

"So how'd you girls do it?" Flynn asked curiously, grabbing and opening a can while taking an enthusiastic glance over at Jack for a single second.

They flew into a fit of giggles and avoided the question at hand. "What does it matter, at least we have it!" Rapunzel perkily smiled. Conversing with Hiccup and the redhead over what direction to head over to first, brown eyes condescending and half-lidded with an arched brow aimed at Jack, Flynn whispered.

"Not as innocent as you thought, huh, Jack?"

Eyes were rolled for about the umpteenth time.

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**tbc.**

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**_a/n:** tell me your opinion over the whole rating thing, please.  
and i promisepromisepromise that the love story will bloom. if you feel that rapunzel is off due to her actions and finding her way through and to illegal-ness, then sorry. but i personally believe i don't feel strange writing her in that way, considering the kids that have strict parents and are restricted from doing anything/kept home all the time, are the wild ones at the times they can live.


	3. lightheaded

**warning:** drug use.

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_iii. lightheaded_

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Hiccup hated being pressured.

He also hated driving the stupid RV—the freakin' heavy thing.

So when it was his shift to take the wheel and Flynn was trying to get him to take a hit at the same time, his mind went foggy and haywire. Stupid, drunk Flynn. Stupid, weak resolve.

And he tried to not give in. Really. He did.

He said "no" _at least_ four times.

Seriously.

When Flynn prodded again, Hiccup just decided to park in the middle of the desert they were in. It _was_ a desert, right? Abandoned and hot and all. He couldn't really comprehend anything at the moment—either that or he just didn't care. It was the middle of the night, clock reading past twelve. However, they didn't need the machinery to tell them it was late (the stars were literally their only source of illumination, besides the car) and they really should find a place to shack up—preferably a parking lot, but well, sidelines of a desert seemed to be their only option at the moment.

He didn't remember when the pretty redhead took Flynn's place on the passenger seat, nor did he give a damn because she was a pretty little thing to look at, with her hair flaring and her eyes mischievous. He'd never seen anything so perfect in his life.

She proceeded to steal the joint from his fingers, crushing it unsteadily on accident, and whisked it to the gap her lips held and—

_Correction_.

He'd never seen anything so perfect in his life.

Trying to hold on to any ounce of courage and twinge of bravery hidden in him, Hiccup packed it up and kissed her. Plain and simple. And the rest after was hazy, with a little bit of spooning and snoozing away back on the top bunk since had grabbed her hand and she followed, but he could safely say the remainder of the night was rated PG.

At least, that's what he thought. He couldn't surely say the same for Jack.

Said lightheaded teenager was in the middle of an intense game of black jack with a deck of cards Flynn had scrounged up from some compartment beside the cupboards. He had been the dealer, flicking cards to the duo's direction and occasionally taking a sloppy peak at the blonde's cards to signal back to Jack underneath the table. When she noticed, she kneed Flynn in the balls with hard, reddening eyes. Jack couldn't control the laughter that erupted after that, throwing his head back. When he relaxed and met her gaze across from him, she began with that sweet (cynical, twisted, spoiled) voice of hers.

"So, cheater," she drawled sickly, batting her eyelashes innocently. He wasn't fooled. "How do you plan to repent for your ways?"

He cackled again, for just a little bit this time. This was funny, or he was just extremely faded. Or both—she was talking like a priest for Christ's sake—like the angel she was.

Psych.

"And why exactly would I need to repent for my particular ways?"

Her lips did something in between a pout and a smirk and Jack caught himself staring at them far too longer than he should have. He really hoped she didn't notice. "Hey! _You_ were disqualified. Meaning, _I _win! And by _your_ rules, winner gets to choose what happens to the loser."

"Alright, princess," he raised his arms up in a one a.m. stretch, noticing only now that that Flynn had somehow found his way back to his bottom bunk. "You'll get what you want, since you aren't used to otherwise."

Her indignation was obvious in the way her lips automatically settled into a frown and her thin brows furrowed, her eyes still locked on his. She rid of the image almost instantaneously, occupying herself with the adjusting of a spaghetti strap that had fallen. And Jack wasn't looking. Of course he wasn't. "So that's it, huh?"

"That's what?" he yawned.

"That's why you loathe me!" she accused, jabbing a finger at his chest across the table.

"Loathe?" he teased, successful in irritating her. The look on her face was priceless as he mocked on. "Why on earth would I loathe such a sweet doll like you?"

She stood up, clenching her fists and starting toward the end of the RV. She'd had _enough_. "This is exactly why I can't stand you!"She wiped the smug grin off his face. "Arrogant asshole."

His eyes narrowed as he followed after her, teeth gritting and preventing any obscurities to be let past. The nerve she had to go off on him like that. He had done nothing to her! _Yet_, for the most part. He felt the need to strangle her and shut her up with duct tape eighty percent of the time, but he restrained himself. Someone should give him a goddamn medal. "What do you think you're doing?"

"Going to bed!" she muttered, not bothering to face him. She might've slapped him if she had.

Finally, it was now possible for silence to commence. Until Jack realized the only available place to sleep, and quickly retaliated, "The cot's mine!"

"Too late!"

He never hated anyone more than the smug Barbie lying around on his proclaimed sheets, her long hair hanging off the cot in rays of gold and bare legs outside the covers. It was going to be a dreadful two weeks with this devilish, home-schooled stranger. He was _not_ supposed to be provoked, angered, and tempted to murder someone during his vacation. This was certainly _not_ how their trip was supposed to go.

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**tbc.**

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**_a/n:** so this is just a little more fun. i'm already writing chapter 5 or 6 or so. jackunzel's coming up soon, stay tuned! as well as some chaos. ;) review? it'll keep me motivated.


	4. oh, the things we do

**_a/n:** to be honest, i'm still kind of struggling on tense. i haven't worked with full fics/past tense in such a long time. here and there i catch myself writing in the present, but i edited this chapter a couple of times so i think it's in the clear. oh, and i decided on leaving it rated T for the time being. there _will_ be swearing, drinking, and weed, though. (since there has been already) perhaps later if things get a little hot ;) then i'll change it to M.  
and thank you so much to those who continuously review! :)

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_iv. oh, the things we do_

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Everything became a competition. Bets, dares, races, silly little mind games. Hilarity ensued.

They would all compete—just for kicks.

Even Merida decided this was more entertaining than having a strategized plan. Mainly because she was steady, quick, and competitive—she _never_ lost. Meaning she never had to drive nor did she need to participate in the silly little dares they'd give each other—like right now, while they were at some greasy old burger joint.

Her thoughts on travel disintegrated when she heard Flynn protesting on one of Rapunzel's ultimate dares. Her dares were the best. And by best, she meant the _worst_—to the person whom had to pursue them. Influenced with her vivid imagination and untamed curiosity, a look of awe was plastered on her face. She was seemingly entertained by the look of bewilderness that graced his features.

"So," the blonde prodded, spinning the chair that was connected to the floor. Her childish quirks juxtaposed with her intimidating demeanor. "You gonna do it or what?"

Dark eyes narrowed in hesitation. He crossed his arms. "Absolutely not."

"Then, I guess you'll have to sacrifice your beloved liquor for five days," Jack added, encouraging with a mere shrug and a swirling of a curly fry in a puddle of ketchup—to which Flynn had automatically sent a horrifying glare toward. "Hey, it wasn't _my_ idea of an escape penalty."

His eyes roamed around the group, trying to find the culprit. Merida shook her head with a small little smirk that he hadn't noticed, before landing on the blonde. She smiled wide and replied a sturdy _nope_ whilst tying her hair up into a messy little bun. Lastly, and surprisingly, that left him with the unexpected, yet terrifically guilty, Hiccup Haddock. It was all in the way he stuffed his mouth with a burger and attempted to smile. Any person could tell how uncomfortable he looked under Flynn's _give me a_ _break_ stare.

The blonde teen laughed, interrupting the fiasco, her bursting giggles lightening the atmosphere. "Just do it, Flynn. It's not like we're going to _ever_ see these people again. After this, we're back on the road!"

It took a long, menacing glare between the duo before Flynn, at last, acquiesced. "Only for the alcohol."

Jack whistled in entertainment, throwing his legs over onto Flynn's now empty chair in front of him and waiting for the idiot to begin. Oddly enough, Rapunzel wasn't annoying him as much as she could be—in fact, the little consequence her brain had come up with was going to be terribly unforgettable. _This was gold_, he thought, hearing Merida's shrill laughter at how Flynn plunged his jeans down. Hiccup, paranoia-infused, gushed, "What if the cops are called?"

"Don't worry," reassured Rapunzel to Jack's utter bemusement. "They will be."

"How are you guys being so cavalier about this?" The youngest, freckled boy was anxious and sweating. The hint of worry sparkled in eyes of hazel. Merida sent him a soft smile as they watched their friend (whose bare ass had been hanging around in plain sight) began to smooth talk the woman at the register.

The gang weren't close enough to hear the words being exchanged from man to woman and vice versa, but they _had_ been able to watch the way the woman's face scrunched up in distaste, trying her hardest not to look below his stomach. The rest of the—_what_, three minutes?—involved a pretending drunk-ness, a still, very bare part of Flynn that was captured by the eyes of many girls he had seduced in the past, a slap, and a trudging toward the red telephone to dial three specific numbers. They tried their hardest not to laugh, and Jack suddenly realized that perhaps having this new blonde member wouldn't be that much of a burden, after all.

She had been different—_extremely_ different, from what he had primarily assumed her to be. But she was still annoying. Annoying with her vibrant hair and her resonating squeaks and outbursts of giggles and her girlish quirks. And spoiled. Definitely still spoiled.

His thoughts are cut short when said girl grabbed a hold of his wrist and yanked him upward in attempt for him to _hurry the hell up_. He pursed his lips before retorting, and she scolded him, releasing her grip and getting a head start toward the door.

"Come _on_, genius!"

The others had already made their way past the exit, dashing toward the car in a hasty attempt to escape before trouble came. When Jack, the last of them, had stepped inside and shut the door, Merida (eager to get out of there _now_) slammed on the gas pedal and shifted toward the road, completely forgetting that she didn't have to drive thanks to winning bets from earlier on.

Settled in and finished with laughter, Flynn had been trying to adjust his belt buckle when the lime-eyed, long haired teen applauded at his gut to actually waltz around and flirt with a random woman without pants. (_and_ underwear!)

"Enjoy the show, sweetheart?" He asked with a wink, and her eyes rolled on their own.

"Impressed, I'll say."

They all were, actually. Except Hiccup—he'd been afraid most of the time, which didn't make all that much sense since he had hung around these people since junior high. Still semi-naïve and scared of anything that could possibly ruin the scholarship granted to him, he was too ashamed to notice how his redheaded crush of six years found it relentlessly adorable of him. Anyways, Flynn had accomplished the ultimate dare so far, showing off his goods (to all the people in the burger joint) with that striking confidence.

"So, where does a girl like you get these delirious ideas?" asked Flynn curiously after he had fixed himself up. He started fiddling with the distressed, revealing holes of her denim shorts. Within two seconds of his finger running along a loose thread on her thigh, she smacked his hand away and steadily placed a distance between them, sitting beside Hiccup at the table rather than leaning on the small closet beside the cupboard.

"Years and years of secret rebellion," was her answer.

She hadn't cared to elaborate, ultimately shutting them up. Jack didn't admit that he wanted to know more, preoccupying himself by running his hands along the seat he'd been on. He also didn't admit that he liked the way she hadn't swooned over the previously nude man interested in getting some. Rapunzel was provocative and gutsy, but she was _not_ easy—and _that_ was attractive.

They traveled for a couple more hours (the ride consisting of naps and loud music) before Merida parked Angus behind a crowded Italian café, since she hadn't wanted to spend another night on instant ramen and potato chips. She locked the car with a swift press of her fingers, following her friends toward the glass entrance. Thanks to her hurry toward the line, she had made it in front by the first six minutes of her arrival and retrieved the pager.

The restaurant was clean and casually elegant, with cream curtains and indoor plants. Faint music could be heard in several areas of the café, and the place also smelt deliciously of garlic bread. The food seemed amazing by the aroma that could be inhaled and Merida could have sworn she was a second closer to saliva running down her chin.

The five of them leaned against the beige walls on their phone, waiting in hunger until Flynn perked up.

"So, blondie," he received four pairs of eyes in return. "I've got a dare for you."

She raised a clean, thin brow.

"Smuggle a ten from that guy," responded the brunette, quieter than usual. He gestured his chin to the direction behind her, toward a teenage boy with dark tresses and metal on his teeth. He was on his phone, sitting on the mustard sofa. He was most likely waiting for his friends to arrive. The poor kid looked bored to death.

"Why?" she asked, hand on her hip. "I get to keep the cash, right?"

"No, I need it for this meal," he advised to her misfortune. "I would have asked you guys to spot me, but I, seriously, have zero dough on me. So."

"Maybe if you spent a little less on pot…" drawled Hiccup, gaze drifting elsewhere.

"You should be thanking me, since I'm the only one who paid for it!"

"Aren't you a pick pocket?" Rapunzel asked harshly. "Why not you just steal it from him?"

Flynn hesitated, considering his ability before the youngest one of them voiced his own opinion.

"No, there's a chance he could actually catch Flynn stealing from him," lied Hiccup, whom was now the center of attention. Most of his years in high school he'd been teased by upperclassmen who'd threaten him for money or just straight out steal it. Getting somewhat touchy with this subject, he indirectly defended him. "Better us risking Rapunzel's reputation rather than all of us receiving bad attention."

Well, that was true. Flynn outright stealing could easily add up to that stupid kid snitching, and knowing Flynn, with a wallet in his hand he'd go for the entire thing, rather than just a single bill. Rapunzel wouldn't. She was crazy gutsy and a little devil with her mother away, but she wouldn't take money from an innocent lad. She'd use her… _charm_ to get it. Merida cut in shortly, wanting this conversation to end before things got a little too loud and people would easily give them critical stares of curiosity, "Fine, yeah, you're right. Rapunzel, just _go_."

"No way!" her arms having shifted and made their way to her chest, crossing in her clear befuddlement. "He's, like, fourteen! I refuse to seduce a _fetus_!"

"Of course thy highness does not feel the need to take one for the team and accomplish the dare bestowed upon her," the boy mocked in attempt to sound as medieval as possible, knowing exactly how to get under her skin with his royal remarks. She scowled.

"Now practice your seduction method on Jack," Flynn instructed.

Rapunzel sighed, oddly complying as she flipped a lock of her blonde hair behind her in preparation. _Girls and their goddamn hair_, Jack thought. She bit down on her lip, unsure of how to do this. _Maybe she really was a prude_.

"Um…" she pivoted her head around the group, waiting for more instructions. None came. Her tone was awkward as the words fumbled out of her mouth. "Hey… handsome?"

Jack sunk his teeth into his tongue to suppress his boyish snickering. Usually confident, striking Rapunzel was so lost and unsure of herself in the idea of _flirting_.

Cute.

"Alright, honestly, _I'm_ more woman than that," declared Flynn, pushing her toward the teenager on the couch.

With one large breath, she sat beside the puberty-engaging teen and threw on a dashing smile, eager to finish the stupid task. Tone happy and eyes bright, she greeted, "Hi!"

He only looked up at her with a judging, dark eye and grimaced before returning his attention back to his phone. Her brows furrowed. She was definitely not fond of being treated this way—and spoiled or as stuck up as Jack may put her out to be—she wasn't used to being treated this way either. Usually, she would know exactly how to get what she wants, like the liquor she had easily gotten away with back at that one gas station. The fact that she was struggling with a boy who was _years_ younger than her to get ten freakin' bucks was ridiculous.

Stepping up her game a little, she purposely fiddled with the hem of her shorts, trying to draw attention to her bare legs. "So, you have a name?"

He only looked at her. Again. _God, why wasn't he swooning_? Had she really lacked _that _much sex appeal?

"Well," she continued on, her resolve keeping her from giving up. "My name's Rapunzel and I'm—!"

"Look lady," he curtly interrupted, placing his phone down to look her with both eyes. "I'm not interested in giving out my number. So stop trying to come onto me."

Now, she was infuriated. How dare he think she had the audacity to hit on him. _As if_! Setting him straight, she quickly responded, imitating him with a venomous tone. "Look _kid_, I just need ten bucks."

His eyebrows rose knowingly before he slid his arm around her waist and pulled her hips closer to his, "Oh, so you work _that_ way. In _that _case—"

She heaved out a pissed off _ugh_, having enough of this pervert. She quickly shoved him away from her before whispering venomously into his ear, to which he reacted by fishing out his wallet without a moment's hesitation.

The blonde teen returned to her crowd of friends who had been eyeing and laughing at the whole charade the entire time, handing the bill over to Flynn with a satisfied grin. Curious, yet proud, Flynn questioned, "What'd you say to him?"

"Oh, just a little threat about what I'd tell his friends once they got here. Nothing big."

Hiccup chuckled at the irony of such an innocent looking doll threatening the life of some kid.

"Total sleazeball," Rapunzel replied with a shiver and a shake of her head.

Merida smirked, sinking her back into the walls. She played around with the pager until it went off, the lights inside beaming as well as the tingling of vibrations being ignited against her palm. "Should've seen Jack," she whispered into Rapunzel's ear as she skipped past them all to give the beeper back to the waitress. "The boy was fuming!"

Speaking of the Frost boy, he had walked faster than usual, trailing in front of them with his hands in the deepest of his pockets and his ears somewhat red from behind. She wasn't able to notice how flushed his face became, and in return, he hadn't noticed the smile that curved from her lips in response.

Fuming, huh?

* * *

**tbc.**

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**_a/n: **the teenage boy rapunzel was "seducing" was pretty much based on chris mintz-plasse aka mcluvin from superbad. just for the hell of it. bc i love him. hahaha


	5. flowers in your hair

**warning:** marijuanaaaa, like before.

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_v. flowers in your hair_

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The first time Rapunzel had caught herself very, very close to kissing Jack was at eleven p.m. in the midst of a spring.

It would have been forceful and clumsy and just a little bit sloppy. And it wasn't because of a dare, or some sort of consequence Merida had come up with for being a whiny bitch for not wanting to drive from time to time. It was neither of them. In fact, she had initiated it herself. _By_ herself.

It was terrible. They were seconds away from clashing noses since she had forgotten to tilt her head and she could have sworn his eyes had been open—but she would have liked to use the excuse of _oh, she had totally just taken him off guard_.

But wait, let's take a step back and understand why this had happened to begin with.

Car out of gas, teenagers desperate for showers, parked in the center of trees, trees, and _more_ trees, lost, dazed, and bored (since of course, there had been no service, as well) the gang had stifled out of the vehicle with a couple of flashlights in search for any sign of help.

(that did not include multiple deer giving them darkening eyes, to which resulted in a screech from the blonde)

It was late in the evening when they started travelling by foot as a pact, and how she wished she could check what time it was (the damned iPhone charger wouldn't do any justice because of the stupid dead car and _wow_ Flynn was going to be dead soon because this was _his_ fault and he hadn't done anything to make up for it) when Merida suggested that it'd be quicker and more productive if they split up to go search for any other signs of human life.

There probably were campers, right?

Damn, where even were they?

Obviously the Scottish had clung to Hiccup—and she looked almost enthusiastic to walk around a freakin' forest in the middle of the night! And there was absolutely no way Rapunzel was going to be alone in this—she'd _die_! Her mother had constantly warned her about the outside life (that she would ironically ignore) but standing out here in the heat (and darkness!) in nothing but a summery cropped top and some shorts that rode above her hips, she was still trying to regain her bravery and hold onto (for dear life) _any_ inch of calmness left in her.

But for god's sake, she could be raped by some stranger or sketchy sheriff or _or_—

(her imagination's running haywire)

—an _animal_!

She nearly squeaked in fear before realizing she stood before two boys, one with bright hair that caught her eye easily, even in the dimness this place held, and an idiot who looked as if he was about to fall asleep while standing up. Rapunzel sighed before tucking away any hatred she harbored for the boy that she deemed the smarter option before she looped her arm into Jack's and quickly led them to somewhere to his right. She tried (really, really) hard to avoid that condescending look in his eyes, by fidgeting with her fingers and looking to what she thought could be his shoes.

"Look, I think it's just smarter if you and I were paired up."

She didn't know how it was possible for him to look all kinds of smug every time they talked—or hell, even every time they'd glance over at one another. But she was positive she hated him for it.

And other things, too. Possibly. Maybe.

"Getting all soft on me now?" His signature smirk was detectable.

The girl hissed, "In your dreams." Clarifying, she added, "I am _not_ going to be stuck alone with that idiot who got us into this mess and I'm not letting you guys pair up and leave me to stay with the car!"

Expecting him to approach her with his mutual stubbornness, she was surprised at the way he just shook his head, alongside a small grin, and started out toward a trail opposite the direction that Merida and Hiccup had entered. His frosty head made a swift rotation, his gleaming blue eyes meeting hers slightly, "Coming?"

She smiled at this, and he was safe to say he didn't miss it.

/

They'd only been walking for around twenty minutes and Jack was (very) close to just ditching her behind. For real, this time. He had done it not too long ago, as a harmless prank.

She was on one of her endless rambles, one where he barely contributed because even if he had, she'd drown it out with her own annoying voice and whatever the hell she could talk about. At one point she'd been expressing over her love of the pine trees surrounding them. Stupidly naïve and kept away from the world for seventeen years—he pitied her. Poor girl. He could have showed her the world. He still could.

(not that he'd voice that)

Anyways, during one of her sentence frenzies, he'd quietly slipped away from her side and hid behind one of the trees. He realized, then, that playing incognito under a darkened sky with a girl who was afraid over the littlest things could have been the highlight of his night. He peaked from the side of the tree's base, only seeing the frightened shaking of the flashlight in her hands some feet away from him. He bit down on his tongue and watched as she called for him in a desperation foreign to his ears.

"Jack?" it sounded like a whimper. "This isn't funny, Jack."

Silence. Minus the crickets off in the distance and a few rustling of leaves.

(which she obviously cringed at by the flinching of the light in her hands)

"Jack, please come out. I'm—I'm scared. _Jack_!"

Her voice trembled and he was just about to come forth before the beam of light flickered off. Jack could hear a muffled voice and a stuffed scream in the complete blackness. His body went cold.

"Rapunzel?!" he had called out. His arms spread and motioned in different directions since he couldn't see her. She was out of sight and arm's length at every step he took. _Shitshitshitshit._ "Rapunzel, are you alright?"

Jack felt the roll of the flashlight beneath one of his steps and automatically steadied his stance while circling the beam around him to find nothing but trees. Flipping out and seriously _very_ scared that she'd been taken and was in legitimate danger—she _had_ screamed under a forceful hand and then suddenly vanished.

"Fuck," he'd been apparently saying, subconsciously and repeatedly. He shouldn't have done that—left her and laughed at her struggling and and and—now she was _gone_! And it was _his_ damn fault. "Rapunzel? If you can hear me, make a sound—try to make a sound!"

There were multiple crunches in various directions and Jack, in the manliest way possible, was scared shitless. It was to the point where he had accidentally dropped the only possible illumination within this forest and when he bent to retrieve it, all he was successful in feeling around for were pebbles, maybe a bug, and some grass. After a couple of awkward steps that (almost) cost him a prideless fall on his ass, hands had made their way to his arms and were yanking him. Hard. "What the—?!"

He was throwing punches now, fists flinging through the atmosphere in swift movements, yet had ultimately only hit nothing but the air around him. How was this person able to dodge him? Surely a serial killer/rapist/abductor would be pretty strong, perhaps heavy, most likely tall… right?

And then he heard it; the sign that gave this whole rendezvous up. Her giggle.

It was light, hushed, and she had instantly quieted herself after it was released. Using his leverage, the strength he had compared to hers, he pulled his arms out behind him and was triumphant in having her body roll into his since she had locked her grasp on him. He could feel her breath on his chin and it tingled a bit, but he reminded himself of the hatred he had for her (when she was _just_ getting on his good side, she had to pull this little stunt and _boom_—the loathing was, once again, ignited) and stretched his arms out further behind him. Her fingers lost their grip on his sleeves and with that single moment of hesitation, he reversed the position, wrapping his cold fingers around her bare, warm arms and kept her still.

The fact that her body had been radiating heat onto him from their chests, heaving against each other in exasperated breaths, he practically growled, "Rapunzel, 'the fuck is wrong with you?"

"Let go of me," he heard below him in her most threatening voice.

"You fucking scared me with that disappearance act!" His hold softened. "What the hell?"

"Are..." she began, hint of a smirk that he could imagine playing its part on those lips he'd stare at quite frequently. Clarifying, "Were you worried over me?"

_Fuck_. "What?"

"Were you worried over me?" Not even three seconds later, and she declared (assumed) surely, "You were worried over me! You _care_ about me."

Ready to set this girl straight, he had unintentionally tightened his fingers and said, "Care_d_. For five minutes. Until you decided to pretend to be some fearful, broken brat who was _kidnapped_!"

"As if _I _started this whole thing! It's your fault, you know, leaving me alone!" exclaimed Rapunzel. "An eye for an eye."

The girl had a point there. Not that he'd admit it or at least openly agree that he was wrong. Instead, he ignored her and pressingly asked her for the flashlight. She complied, although frustrated, wanting to make amends. And she knew exactly how to do that.

/

They'd been walking until they found themselves at a peak, away from the darkness the trees provided them with. They were under a moonlight so bright that made the flashlight useless. As Jack flicked it off, the blonde couldn't help but be enthralled with the moon and the specks of stars blanketing the navy blue above them. She looked at Jack, wondering if he was still pissed at her until she followed his gaze—locked to what was before them with wide orbs.

Her view shifted from the cliff they'd been standing on to the waterfall beside it, leading to a deep turquoise spring. Right then and there, was the first time they shared the same, exact thought: it was magnificent.

She was anxious now; her _need_ to be in that body of water was monstrous. She'd been aching for a shower for _days_. Not that she was dirty or anything; she always made sure she smelled nice, hair not greasy, and was somewhat clean, but _damn_—the thought, the crave, of being drowned in water was heavenly.

"How do you suppose we get down there?" she asked him, searching for a way to get to the ground beside the bed of cold, fresh bathing. He didn't answer, apparently still mad. With the idea of truce in her mind, she started, "White flag. I have a peace offering."

"And what would that be?" he snidely said, digging his hands further into his pockets. She resisted the urge to roll her bottle green eyes at this tone she deemed typical.

Quiet, yet confident, Rapunzel's fingers hovered to her back pocket and pulled out a familiar, transparent ziplock bag containing the green substance that didn't belong to either of them. She shuffled them to her opposing pocket and also pulled out a coral pink lighter. She flashed him a white smile that topped his hair and he couldn't help but smirk.

And they sat there, legs crossed and in front of each other, watching the smoke pour out of their mouths in milky waves. Shoulders relaxed and minds hazy, they pitied the rest of the friends, who were probably still searching around for help.

"Finally mastered ghosting," he coolly stated before taking a long hit. He puffed his cheeks, followed by sucking them back in, and slowly blew out an opaque, cleanly-shaped cloud which stayed in place for two seconds, before vacuuming the puff back into the gap of his lips.

"Bet you've never seen this one."

Rapunzel grabbed the joint from his fingers and popped it between her lips, inhaling the vapor. She began exhaling thick rings of smoke, hovering in between them. He was about to comment on how she had just performed the most basic trick in the book when she blew out her very last _O_. She hadn't missed the look in his eyes as her fingers, in tremendous speed, made its way to the _O _and snapped at the very top, disfiguring the shape into a symmetrical heart that slowly transcended into the clear air in front of him.

"You're right," he had said.

They proceeded. And for short second, she wondered if Jack was as good at French kissing as he was at French inhaling.

/

When they finished all she had stolen from Flynn, the two stayed put on the ground in an unspoken communication that quickly shifted into an awkward silence.

"You know what I feel like doing?" she blurted, standing up freely.

He eyed her skeptically. He refused to believe that he was checking her out. He'd only been staring at her hair, the golden waves that cascaded down her arched back at how she stood at that moment… to her ass that had been partially revealed because of shorts that covered more of her hips rather than her actual bum… and to those goddamn long, long, _long_ legs of hers. Definitely wasn't checking her out. He was late in replying, but he managed to mumble out a simple, "What?"

And then the girl (the crazy, sunshine girl with flowers tangled in her hair) did something he'll never forget. She pulled her top over her head and threw it down the side of the peak they'd been on, the clothing landing safely on the dry land beside the ravine. Before unbuttoning her shorts, she glanced at him from over her shoulder with a condescending smile. "Enjoying the view?"

He gulped. Speaking was out of his control at this point. Words were fumbled and unfinished and couldn't even stop stuttering. Where the fuck had his masculinity gone? Why was it so normal for a deprived teenage boy to lose his entire sense of manliness in the presence of a girl? "Of-c-c-n-ot… Wh-wha-ter-you-d-doing?"

Her shorts flew south, revealing lacey, violet underwear that matched the bra that had also been revealed. She threw them down the side, following her shirt along with her converse, and looked at him impatiently. "Well?"

_Well_, what? What the hell was she even doing? Not _him_ obviously. Or wait, _was_ she? Why did she look so damn nonchalant clad in a pair of matching garments with a hand on her hip and her eyes expectant? "This is a little too fast, isn't it?" He felt like Hiccup. Feeling like Hiccup was not a good feeling. His manhood was down the drain and she was the very cause of it.

Suspicion seized her face, and then laughter erupted. "No, stupid," she squeaked out between giggles. Wrapped in a sneaky idea to give him a little taste of his own medicine, she said, "I was going for a swim. If you don't want to, then fine, suit yourself. You're lucky I'm not pushing you to go bare."

She didn't wait for an answer as she lifted her arms high above her head and stretched her narrow, slim physique. Her back arched slowly before she spread out her legs and bent down (slowly,_ too_ slowly), her hands grasping her ankles. She wasn't able to see the expression on his face when she rolled her body back up to face the horizon in front of them, though she did have an accurate vision. His eyes were bulged out, wide with dilated pupils and his tongue was being bitten so hard he could have sworn it could have bled if pressed further. Beyond embarrassing for him, but definitely more amusing for her.

After her three minute yoga session, Rapunzel settled herself at the edge of the cliff and jumped head-first, feeling more alive as she flew with ferocious velocity. Her dive wasn't perfect, but it was decent enough to have Jack choke up from the peak watching her.

He mentally argued with himself—a part of him berating him, telling him that he didn't need to follow her down there because this was the girl that continued making this vacation a living hell for him; another part telling him to do what his gut told him to do. In the end, he tucked away any doubt and followed his gut, all his restraint gone as he shrugged off his hoodie, shirt and jeans, and threw them down the side she had done it with his shoes as well.

He jumped, and man, falling had never felt so good.

/

It happened in the water.

Their bodies were enveloped in the darkest shade of aqua and her body had been shivering in the immense cold around her. She didn't know what came over her. Really. All she knew was the adrenaline coursing through her, the water feeling like ice around her waking every inch of her body up, and how she suddenly wanted to taste his lips. And that was the second time the two shared exactly the same thought that night.

They had safe distance between each other after his splash, yet still in arm's reach. And everything about this new atmosphere was cold—that was a fact. But while staring into those darkened orbs, taking note of his soft expression, Rapunzel felt a new warmth implode somewhere in her stomach.

Oblivious to her actions, she had suddenly explored the waters toward him, leaving only an inch between their panting chests and he could feel her breath tickling his neck. She'd grabbed him then, slowly and delicately, her fingers grazing his defined jaw before cupping his face. Entranced while holding a glowing gaze, she was very close to doing something she might have regretted. Her eyes had been staring at his wet lips and by every heartbeat thrumming in her chest, she'd moved closer and closer while his minty breath ghosted against the surface of her reddening cheeks until—

"Jack!" a boyish yell was heard from the ground floor, in the direction their clothes had landed from the cliff. The two had instantly parted, contrasting with the way both their lips had slammed shut and pursed in unison. "Rapunzel!"

"Did ye' lads really find this heavenly spring and not tell any of us about it?!" came a strong, Scottish accent in the distance. "Talk about selfish!"

"Hurry out, guys!" said Hiccup. "We've got help!"

With that, while keeping a distinct amount of space between them, the two made their way to land. Every time he'd unintentionally move closer to her, her legs moved faster in the pool, and both were too distracted to notice Merida nudging Hiccup with a laugh that was being kept in.

And _just_ when they thought they couldn't get into any more trouble, they were wrong.

* * *

**tbc.**


	6. teenage wasteland

**_a/n:** in which this story takes a bit of a turn...

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_vi. teenage wasteland_

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It all started when the seriously irresponsible idiot man child was distracted and began flirting up a brunette with the see-through top in the midst of filling up her Prius at their latest stop at a 76 station off highway eighty.

Another (also known as Rapunzel) argued that it started when said seriously irresponsible idiot man child had taken a piss on the cop car (said officer apparently with the name Pitch, driving the automobile supposedly _saving _them in the fucking forest), stupid and drunk and (god) so, so, _so_ stupid.

The smartest one, outdoing herself as always, spoke up and demanded for them to stop arguing, because it didn't even matter where it started, since they were already handcuffed and seated in the back of a police car, since Flynn's outrageous actions were only able to piss off those cops and force them to search through Angus to find a few bags of mary jane. (Thank god, she had had the decency of finding a safe area to hide the liquor—underneath the cot behind folded blankets, though in actuality, it was to be hidden from Eugene; if she hadn't they'd be busted under multiple crimes.) Merida _dreaded _the fact that Hiccup was currently with the man at fault, suffering in the vehicle in front of them. She _dreaded_ the fact that Angus was currently being towed somewhere behind him. And mostly, she _dreaded_ the fact that out of the two cars she could have been forced into, it had to be the one where the non-stop bickering duo with the frosty and golden hair, were on both sides of her, squishing her in the middle of their heated bodies and _man_, she could almost feel the cop's annoyance at their bantering.

She even thought he might've shot them, then and there, and she secretly wondered if it would have been a blessing or a tragedy.

Merida blew at a curly strand of burnt sienna hair, aggravated and most of all, tired. When was the last time she even got to sleep? Just as she had allowed the weight of her eyelids to shut and her head to lie back against the hard seat, her best (annoying) girl friend decided to shift in her seat to angrily face Merida's side only to send the Frost boy a menacing glare.

"If _you_ hadn't started on that stupid trail maybe we could've stopped Flynn from getting drunk off his ass and we wouldn't even be in this mess!" she directed at him, once again ignoring Merida's point.

Jack shifted as well, and the redhead realized she wouldn't be able to sleep well even if she tried. "Don't pin this one on me, Princess," his voice had been ragged. "Let's remember the doll who said she didn't want to be stuck with the idiot and paired with me!"

"As if you thought it was a bad idea to leave him alone!" her eyes flashed to the window as she scowled. They all knew she would have flipped her hair—if it weren't for the handcuffs. "You were practically as enthusiastic as I was in leaving the Hit-It-and-Quit-It geezer. You probably even jumped at the idea—!"

"Says the one who was throwing herself at me after purposefully trying—though _not_ succeeding," he added (even if it'd been a lie) just to take a hit at bursting some of that ego, "to seduce me before that!"

Their eyes bore into each other, flaming more than Merida's hair and the ginger could not stand the heat of the pair, who were about ready to pumble the shit out of each other. She and Hiccup had just run into a steamy moment between them in the spring, and now they both looked as if they were going to commit murder. What was this, World Star?

"SHUT THE FUCK UP, BOTH OF YOU!" she barked in between them during merged bickering. She'd had _enough_. She was glad to receive a frightful silence, but was curious when the blonde, after some time in the car, began to hyperventilate.

"I've been arrested," she stated to herself, quietly. "I'm going to jail. I'm going to rot in jail. My mother's going to kill me!"

It wasn't long until the waterworks came and Merida disregarded the boy beside her completely to nudge Rapunzel with her shoulder. Girl friends still needed their girl time. She sent her a soft, no-toothed smile and whispered with reassurance. "It's alright, cheer up. We'll find eh way to get out of this mess."

Suddenly perked up with hope—_how bipolar was this girl, anyways_?—Rapunzel believed her.

/

They were divided into two different cellars, which were connected right in the center by narrow, vertical bars. Those rusting polls did nothing to prevent the conversations from erupting between the group of friends. They were separated by gender in this tiny slammer—was this even a legitimate prison? There were just a bunch of blue-ish (graying) bars and walls, a desk in front of them, no sheriffs present (they'd been getting coffee and doughnuts, Merida had overheard) and a key hanging out of their reach beside the door (their exit).

She looked around her, her eyes circling the bars around them, the repulsive toilets and the steel bunk beds. Her gaze drawled over to Rapunzel, rocking on the floor with her arms embracing her knees in paranoia. Then to Hiccup, who'd been hyperventilating and sweating like mad and he looked as if he was going to cry. There was Jack, leaning against the wall, a dark glare of his eyes against nothing in particular. And then there was Flynn, the dumbass _nimrod_, attempting to bend the bars in order to get through it.

None of them was in the mood to speak, too enthralled by their own fears. Merida took this time to engage in a plan. She searched around, her vision focusing on behind the bars on the desk of the officer, to the papers pinned against the walls. Her orbs fished to the corners of the slammer, detecting no signs of cameras.

"You guys," she began, quietly. "This place has low security. We can escape as long as none of those guards are here with us. And if we escape soon, they'll have no trace of us, since they hadn't even had the decency of taking the mug shots."

"But they do know your plate number," chirped Jack, still shrugged back up against the wall, the furthest away from everyone.

"Then that's why we get the fuck out of this place," Rapunzel stood up, panic-struck.

"Doesn't work that way, Blondie," Flynn pitched in, backing away from the bars as he sighed.

The panic in her eyes dissolved, transitioning to something that looked something like death. Snapping, "And when the hell did you decide to get a brain?"

"When I sobered up."

She guffawed and her lime-like eyes went rolling.

"Doesn't matter," Merida stated in turn. "I have a back-up plate."

Jack shook his head, "'The hell? Where'd you manage—? Do your parents know?"

"Ever since we made road trip plans all those months ago, I thought I'd need one. I heard around town I could get a few emergency crafts at the sidelines. Pretty sketchy, but I got the plate easy. Gave me some fine ass pastries, though."

A couple nods were seen.

"All we need to find out is how to get those damn keys," Jack broke the inevitable silence.

And maybe it was fate, or kismet, or a drop of luck, but the door beside the cubicle opened and in slipped a lanky boy with brown hair and large eyes. He was timid, looked fragile—as if one stumble against him and he'll break like glass. He looked at the bunch behind bars with frightened orbs, glimmering from the dim lamp light.

"Hurry the hell up, Jamie," the sheriff snarled somewhere behind the door he'd entered. "Stop wasting my fucking time and get me the damn wallet."

The boy scurried to the desk and shuffled through the drawers and the papers on top it, disorganizing the piles in attempt to find it. He looked scared to death, and the gang's eyes had curiously watched him scramble around. It was like his life depended on it.

Apparently, it had.

That became evident when the ghostly pale officer from earlier barged into the room, disregarding the prisoners as trudging straight toward the cubicle with a threatening hand out, whipping his wallet out of one of the drawers of the wooden desk. His jaw was angled and his face was white, eyes—if looked at for some quite, murdered you where you stood—words stung with venom as he cussed toward the little boy.

Even Hiccup had taken a halt from his shaken demeanor to pay attention to the scene at hand. While Rapunzel was literally bracing herself, Flynn, as well had stood in a motionless silence. On the other hand, Merida watched as Jack, seemingly aggravated, snarled in response.

"Leave him alone," the teenager spoke up toward Pitch, suddenly distracted by the rebellious voice that echoed along the walls of the cellar he'd been in.

The two identical black holes of eyes slowly ricocheted toward the direction of the fearless voice. His face smug, hand still raised, "Oh? What're you going to do about it? I can treat my step-son however the hell I want to."

With that, his smirk widened and his brows relaxed as a powerful smack reacted on the boy's small face. He rotated when he fell on his side, and Pitch left through the exit without a care, calling a simple, "I'll be out with the guys," as the door shut.

The child released a slurred wail, clutching his face as Rapunzel's heavy breathing could be heard off to the side. Merida pushed her hair behind her and sweat trickled down her forehead as she quietly repeated unintelligible mumbles. The boy stood up afterward, making his leave when Jack, again, spoke up.

"Are you alright, kid?"

He froze before his little fingers took a hold on the brass knob. His eyes were on his shoes—red and tattered. In a moment's hesitation, he grasped the doorknob and twisted it.

"Stop!" Jack grit his teeth, clinging to the iron bars. What he was about to propose wouldn't only benefit his friends—and Rapunzel (_whatever_ the hell she was)—but it would help this little guy, too. He knew exactly what the boy had been feeling, being in a very similar position almost a decade before. He absolutely would not be able to live with himself if he had come up with a plan to escape without helping this 'Jamie'.

The boy paused in the twisting of his wrist and turned his head to look over his shoulder. His eyes were wet and his nose was bruised. "Why?"

He took a large breath, slowly looking at the rest of the group behind him or beside him before meeting those large, innocent eyes again and shutting his own in thought. "I can help you. We can help you."

Jamie pondered over his statement; his curiosity was wrapped in skepticism. He let go of the handle and turned his body, full attention on the white-haired stranger. Perhaps it had been desperation or naivety, or a stupid combination of both to actually listen to this teenager, but he'd done it anyway. "How?"

"If you get us out of here, we'll get you out of here."

He was horrorstricken, terrified at the idea of running way. His step dad was an officer. He would search for him. He would find him. He would kill him. Those were the words Pitch had told him after his mother died, after his first attempt at running away. His young face must have looked beyond terrified, because Jack knelt on one knee and softened the look of his eyes.

"We'll protect you."

Jamie gulped loudly, wondering if this proposition would be worth it. Pitch had caught this gang once and landed them in here—he could always do it again. And he would be dead, for sure.

"That son of a bitch step father will _never_ lay a hand on you again," Jack reassured. He forgot about the rest of the friends behind bars; all he was focused on was saving the poor child. "You've just got to trust me."

The brunette ran the back of his hand against his eyes, ridding of the salty water dripping from the corners. He nodded, somewhat enthusiastic, deciding that anything would be better than staying here. "I do, I trust you," he murmured, grabbing the key from the hook behind him unaware of the igniting of warmth in Jack's stomach after his statement. He declared, "You also have to protect my sister."

"I promise."

* * *

**tbc.**

* * *

**_a/n:** so much dialogue. ughh. also that sketchy woman merida got the plate from was kind of supposed to be like a small tie to Brave. there are actually a bunch of small ties to their original movies and i'm wondering if i made them obvious enough. oh and duh yes that is jamie from rotg. :') also, remember that jack's in a foster family; i mentioned it once in the very first chapter

sorry if this is updated late, i was busy doing summer reading and getting into other fandoms (which was a terrible decision because now im batshit crazy over one direction and this has been the worst choice of my life don't judge me). and updates will actually be pretty late because i'm drowning in stress right now because school starts tomorrow and i'm a fucking junior and oh my god pray for me i can't handle life and all my problematic teenager issues


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